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With training camp a month away, I figured it is never too early to start analyzing things we should be watching during the Miami Dolphins training camp.

Every team has concerns going into training camp, and some teams have more than others. Here are seven of the concerns going into the Miami Dolphins training camp on July 30.

1. The FS Position?

The Dolphins biggest weakness last year was their pass defense. They have improved much of their defense and added a successful defensive coordinator. The only real glaring hole left is the free safety position. There are a few potential players that could be a starting safety. Among those prospects are Reshad Jones, Chris Clemons, and Tyrone Culver. It will be interesting to see if any of them are able to step up during training camp.

2. How Brandon Marshall and Chad Henne Work Together?

I'm not sure how big of a concern this will be, but it should still be thrown out there. Brandon Marshall missed a good bit of the OTA's this offseason. While he probably didn't need the OTA's physically, it still would have been better if he was there so he could work with quarterback Chad Henne. It is important for a quarterback and his receiver to have timing and be able to work together to be successful. Hopefully they will be able to develop that during training camp.

3. How The Tight Ends Will Perform?

Last year was a disappointing one for Miami Dolphins tight end Anthony Fasano. He didn't play near as well as he did the previous season when he was one of the top tight ends in the NFL. Fasano will probably do better this year, but we will see how he does during training camp.

4. Who Will Return Kicks?

Now that we lost Ted Ginn Jr, the Dolphins need a new kick return man. Ginn definitely wasn't a consistently good return man and I am glad that he is gone, but I just don't know who can replace him. Hopefully someone can pop up during training camp.

5. Can Karlos Dansby Adequately Replace Joey Porter?

The Dolphins got rid of linebacker Joey Porter this offseason, but they gained linebacker Karlos Dansby to replace him. Porter was a dominant linebacker who was a defensive leader for the Dolphins last year. He was also an emotional leader, and we will see if Dansby is able to match up to him. Hopefully he can be an emotional, as well as physical, leader for the Miami Dolphins defense like Porter.

6. Ronnie Brown

There are two concerns about Brown, but one of them may not even be a problem when training camp actually starts. The first concern is how Brown will be able to come back from his season-ending ankle injury from last season. Brown was very instrumental to the Dolphins success last year, so his health is important. Another concern is his current contract situation. He hasn't signed a deal with the Dolphins yet, and he is apparently looking for a long-term contract. We will see what the Dolphins are willing to do.

7. Leadership

The Dolphins lost a couple of leaders this offseason. There are some potential athletes that could become leaders this year for Miami's offense and defense. It will be interesting to see who can step in when training camp starts. Look for players like Chad Henne and Brandon Marshall to become leaders on offense. Defensively look for at least Karlos Dansby, and we don't know about who else yet.

The Miami Dolphins player ratings for the upcoming Madden 11 have just recently been released.

As is always the case for Madden games, there are some players that are rated too high or too low..... according to the opinions of the fans. Player ratings are always subject to criticism or praise, even if they are accurate, because they are subject to opinion.

Sometimes the Madden team gets players spot on, and other times they seem to be way off. While it is just a game, millions of people love playing it, so I figured it was relevant to many of my readers.

So now, I will analyze good ratings that were spot-on and were accurate (in my opinion) to the players actual skill level. I will also analyze a few ratings that I didn't agree with and elaborate on them. Read on:

The Good

Brandon Marshall - Marshall was given a 96 overall, which I think is a very fair rating because he is one of the best in the league. Pretty much all of his stats are 90 and higher. There isn't much more to say about this one.

Jake Long - I love Long's overall rating of 96. What the Madden crew really got right is that they made both his pass and run blocking good, but they really made his run blocking good. And, that couldn't be more accurate because Long played a huge part in run blocking this year.

The Bad

Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo - I think that each's overall is a little low. Camarillo's overall is 73 and Bess is 74. But, the big thing I didn't like much is their catching statistic. Bess is 87 and Camarillo is 83. I know they aren't really big play receivers, but one thing they can do is catch the football. Their catch stat should be at least a little higher. Bess' is a little more accurate than Camarillo, but I still think they both need to be higher.

Tyler Thigpen - This one isn't hugely important, but I still think it is a bit of a mistake. Thigpen's overall is 64. He showed that he is a lot better than they when he came in last year and almost lead the Miami Dolphins to a comeback victory over the Steelers. A 64 overall is very off, and I think he should at least be a 70.

The Pretty Accurate But Hopeful To Change Soon

Chad Henne - Henne's overall is 79. I think it may be a little low, but that may just be the Dolphins fan in me. I do think that his throw power of 94 is accurate because it is a good deal higher than his accuracy of 78. He does have a very strong arm, which is why I like his rating.

Hopefully Henne will get better as the season progresses, which is why I made a special section for him. There is a good chance that he can do well enough to become a high 80's and low 90's overall by next year.

We will see how well they do this year and how accurate the ratings are. Hope that they are all too low and all of the Dolphins players play better than expected.

Are there any other ratings you guys don't agree with? Let me know with your comments below.

When the Miami Dolphins signed Brandon Marshall this offseason, he was definitely classified as a "diva-receiva".

At first, I was a little bit skeptical. Not too much, but I still wasn't positive how he would be in Miami. Since then, I have been extremely impressed with what he has done.

He hasn't caused any trouble, he always says the right things in interviews, and he has become very, very positive. For example, when he was talking about this year in a recent interview he said this year would be the "biggest year I've ever had."

He only had good things to say about Miami.

That is really encouraging to me. The fact that Brandon Marshall, who is an incredible receiver, can be so positive must mean he see's something good in the organization.

He has even started connecting with the community. He recently ran a camp for kids in Miami that sold out almost instantly. Any time a player is rooted in the community, they are bound to stay for a long time.

A good example is Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat. While there is a possibility that he will join another team during the NBA free agency this year, he will most likely stay in Miami. Part of the reason behind him wanting to stay is his love for the community. If Brandon Marshall can become more connected to the community, he won't want to leave if he gets the chance.

Let's hope things continue to stay encouraging for Marshall this year and years to come. What do you guys think about Marshall since he has entered Miami? Are you encouraged by what he has done?

With all of this talk about Chad Henne, I started to think about his statistics and whether he is worthy of being a fantasy football player.

Let me start with his statistics from last year. Henne threw for 2,878 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions last season. Those are average statistics for a quarterback, and not what you want from a fantasy quarterback.

But, that was with only 13 games started. If you take the average of yards per game, which is around 221 yards, multiply the average by 3, and add that to his yards from last year you get 3,541 yards.

Basically, if Chad Henne started all 16 games he would have somewhere around 3,541 passing yards.

That is much better, but still not among the best in the league. It is good enough for at least a back-up position on your team, though. And, that is just from last year.

This year will be a lot better for Henne. Among other reasons, he now has a receiver that can make big plays and puts up great numbers. A quarterback can only do so much with possession receivers. Even if they are really good at catching, they won't help your quarterback put up fantasy football-worthy numbers.

In order for a quarterback to be fantasy-worthy, he must have at least one receiver who is also fantasy-worthy. That is exactly what Brandon Marshall is.

All of that being said, I am still not convinced that he is worthy of being a starting fantasy quarterback in a smaller league. If you have a huge league with a lot of different teams, then it would be a different case, but let's assume you are in a smaller league.

Henne still has to prove himself, and I think most people can agree that he can't put up Drew Brees or Peyton Manning numbers yet. So for now, I would pick him up as a back-up quarterback. He should be able to put up at least 4000 passing yards, but the problem is he doesn't throw as many touchdowns, because the Miami Dolphins rushing game gets too many touchdowns.

Would you pick up Henne as a fantasy quarterback? Why or why not? If so, would he be your first or second string quarterback? Let me know with your comments.

Ok look, we all know about the draft picks and the free agent acquisitions the Miami Dolphins made in the off season. We went after a slew of Line Backers this year, and equally as many Team Captains. So now it comes down to what they can contribute for the following year.

Many of us have jumped on the band wagon and the talk of the town is how much better we are. I agree we are better than last year. The additions of Marshall and Dansby are, most certainly, huge improvements. Those improvements paired along with the other changes mean we are going to be better.

So I'm wondering, are we going to be as good as the hype?

Not likely, or at least not this year.

Why?

Well mostly because we were Awful last year on Defense. I took sometime to look up a few things in yahoo sports. On defense here are the facts from just the AFC East (I sound like Joe Friday of Dragnet days).

We were last in points allowed per game 24.4, and the Bills allowed 4 points less than we did a game. We were last in yards per game 349.3, 3rd against the run, last in passing defense per game with 234.6 by 24 yards, last in interceptions for the year, and tied for last in forced fumbles 11 on the year. And, I saved the best for last: 2nd in passes defensed, and finally, 1st in sacks.

Folks this Defense is AWFUL!

Now we can sit here all day long and talk about how much better we are, but there are only 2 things we know with relative certainty: Brandon Marshall is way better than Ted Ginn, and Karlos Dansby is much more than just a step up. But that is about it as far as you can go with positive improvements. The rest is all "IF'S"

If Chad Henne is better. If Ronnie Brown has recovered. If Channing Crowder is recovered from the same injury that Brown has. If Cameron Wake is the real deal. If Clemons can step up, or if Reshad Jones will instead. If Sean Smith and Vontae Davis progress. If AJ Edds and Koa Misi are as good as advertised. If we can stop the run. If we defend the pass. If we can cover a tight end, and any tight end at all would help. If we can stop the long bombs that seemed to beat us every week.

Maybe every team has those questions. I don't know, and I don't care. The reality of this is, those "IF'S" better be more than just positive thinking. They have to be true.

You have heard about the hype surrounding Chad Henne that Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross started.

Ross said that Henne has the potential to become the best Miami Dolphins QB ever. Many people think he over exaggerated how good Henne was, and that may be the case. But even though he may have gone a little too far, his claim still has some backing.

Henne is a great quarterback who does show a lot of potential like Ross said. He has what he needs to succeed now, which is why I believe this year he will be primed for a breakout. Here are 5 reasons why:

His Arm Strength

Henne has a really, really strong arm.

He can throw the ball as far as he needs to. Last year that was not really necessary because the Dolphins didn't have a deep threat for Henne to throw it to. Now, they do have a deep threat for Henne (which I will get to in a later slide).

A strong arm is the key to success in the NFL. The NFL is fast paced and quarterbacks need to be able to quickly fit the football into the receivers hands. If a passer is unable to throw the ball quick enough, then the defense will get in the way and either knock down the ball or intercept it.

He Is A Great Leader

Whenever you hear a player from the Miami Dolphins talking about Henne, you will always hear about how he is a leader.

Leadership is a must for any professional quarterback. A quarterback must be able to control his teammates in the huddle. He must be the person who keeps everyone in the huddle calm and focused.

A leader is confident in his abilities and, therefore, his teammates will also be confident in his abilities. They can trust him and know he will do everything he can to pull them through.

All of those attributes describe Chad Henne. Henne is a controller of the team. If you ask anyone who has been in the huddle with him, they will say the same thing.

A quarterback can be pretty successful even if he isn't the best passer if he is a good leader. Every team needs leadership from their quarterback to be successful, and the Dolphins are no different.

The Beast

The Beast is a real game changer.

Brandon Marshall aka "The Beast" is what will make this year so special for Henne. Chad Henne was great before, and he didn't have a deep threat to help him play even better. Brandon Marshall is that deep threat that I mentioned earlier.

Marshall is one of the top receivers in the NFL, and he gets a lot of receptions. He is a play-maker that can catch big passes. He can turn what would have normally been a 10+ play drive for the Miami Dolphins last year into a 2 or 3 play drive this year with a big catch or two.

Brandon Marshall is by far the biggest offensive addition for the Dolphins so far. He will help Chad Henne get big plays and put up big statistics.

The Rest Of The Receiving Corps

Whenever one's first plan doesn't work out, one should always have a back-up plan.

The same goes for Chad Henne passing the ball. Of course, Brandon Marshall will be his primary target, and he should look to pass the ball to him because you know he can make a play.

But, Marshall won't always be open. That is when Henne can look to his other receivers. The rest of the Miami Dolphins receivers are extremely good at catching the football. They do not necessarily make big plays for big gains, but they sure can make big catches. If you throw the ball to them you know they will catch it.

Whenever Henne needs to, he can know that whoever he passes to will catch anything he throws at them.

Whether it is Brian Hartline, Greg Camarillo, or Davone Bess, Henne will always have a great receiver to catch his passes and help him do even better.

The Miami Dolphins Running Game

A good way to assure a successful passing offense is to have a successful rushing offense.

The Dolphins have a great running game. When the passing game was unable to carry the team the last few years, the running game was definitely able to.

The great thing about having such a good running game is that opposing defenses have to be just as ready for the Dolphins to run the ball as they have to be for Henne to pass the ball.

This will make things a little bit easier for Henne. All he will have to do is fake a hand-off to one of the numerous Dolphin running backs and he will make the defense think Miami is running the ball. Then, one of his receivers is bound to be open for him to rocket the ball to.

One of the reasons I believe Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre did so well last year was the fact that opposing defenses absolutely had to account for RB Adrian Peterson. Peterson was capable of breaking a big play at any time, so defenses had to make sure they covered him. That made things easier for Favre, who could catch defenses off guard and throw to a receiver past them.

Now, Henne can do the same thing. Other teams know that the Dolphins have multiple threats at the running back position that they have to prepare for, so they will focus a lot on the Dolphins rushing attack.

This will be a huge year for Chad Henne. I guarantee it.

Everything looks good for him, and I don't see any reason why he won't break out. He has all of the tools he needs at his disposal. This year is going to be the year that he uses his tools to become a star.

And, maybe, some day Stephen Ross will look like a genius. Maybe Henne will be the best Dolphin quarterback ever. We will just have to see, though.

The Rams finally resigned free safety O.J. Atogwe to a five year deal worth $32 million.

While there may not have been much of a possibility of the Miami Dolphins signing a free agent FS before, it is pretty much gone now.

The signing of Atogwe is an unofficial event that marks the end of any possibility of the Dolphins signing a free safety from free agency. It means that the Miami Dolphins staff trusts their current players at the FS position.

Most Dolfans agree with me when I say that the FS position is probably the weakest spot on the Dolphins defensive roster, so it was surprising to me when they decided not to pick up another free safety. But the Miami coaches apparently see something in who they have, so they have decided to keep things like they are.

Last year the Dolphins passing defense gave up way to many big plays and was a huge reason the Dolphins lost more than they won. This year they have only improved their pass defense, and the only real problem lies at free safety.

We'll see how the FS battle turns out with who we have, and hopefully whoever the final starter is will have a great year and help more than they hurt.

What do you think? Will the Dolphins keep who they have and who do you think will end up being the starter?

Throughout the past couple of seasons, there was always one thing the Miami Dolphins could count on.

That was the running game.

It didn't matter what the passing game or the defense was like, you always knew the running game would come through. In a recent post I discussed whether the Miami Dolphins really needed Ronnie Brown. While I believe that Brown is a really great running back, I also believe that the Dolphins do not absolutely need him.

They have enough talent behind Brown at the RB position led by Ricky Williams. Williams is a great back that should be able to give the Dolphins a couple more great years.

Yes, Ricky is old, but he should be able to last long enough for the Dolphins to find a real starting back, and this is all assuming that Miami doesn't keep Ronnie Brown.

But for now, pretend that Ronnie Brown will not be a Miami Dolphin for much longer and Miami is searching for a back:

According to a report by sunsentinel.com, the Miami Dolphins are among the most interested teams looking at BYU running back Harvey Unga, who would be in the supplemental NFL draft on July 15.

I am wondering why they would be even remotely interested in Unga.

Williams will last the Dolphins for at least another season, which will enable them to pick up a running back in the NFL draft next year if they really need it. Then they could develop that back into a starter.

But, instead they are looking at Harvey Unga who, from what I can tell, isn't all that great of a running back. Sure, he rushed for 3,455 yards and he gained 1,085 receiving yards in three seasons for BYU, but if you watch his highlights he isn't very impressive.

He doesn't really have breakaway speed like most of the most successful running backs. He may be powerful, but that can only get you so far in the NFL. Speed is everything for a professional running back, and he just doesn't seem to have enough of it.

Unga does have a pretty good repertoire of moves that help him get past a defender, but the problem is that once he makes a move the defenders will still end up catching up to him before he scores. That could sometimes be the difference between a field goal and a touchdown.

If anything, Unga is more suited to be a fullback, which the Dolphins don't need right now either.

Maybe the Dolphins staff sees more in him than I do, but I can't really tell what that would be.

I believe that the Dolphins can find a better back than him next year, but I don't even think they will need to next year. Brown will, most likely, come back for the Dolphins and play for many more years. I just see it as unnecessary to even bother looking at the kid.

What do you guys think about Harvey Unga? Let me know with your comments.

I will also post a video of Unga when he played for BYU, so be sure to check that out.

Nick Saban essentially apologized to the Miami Dolphins in an interview recently.

Nick Saban was the Miami Dolphins Head Coach for the 2005-2006 season when he helped the team to a 9-7 record. There were rumors late into the season that Saban might become the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Saban constantly denied these rumors and said he would stay with the Dolphins. But, when the end of the season rolled around in Miami, what did Nick Saban do?

He rolled out.

He became the head coach for the Crimson Tide.

Now, according to the Shutdown Corner Blog on yahoo.com, when Saban was asked about the situation with the Miami Dolphins he said that next time if he could, he would "manage it differently" and that he apologizes "for any professional mishandling that might have occured."

You can apologize all you want Saban, but I don't care. You lied over and over about staying in Miami, and then you just left.

The worst part is that Saban is apologizing now. Instead of apologizing soon after the whole incident, he decided to wait until four years later to apologize. He waited until his team had won a national championship game and he had fans all over Alabama supporting him.

It's easy to talk from a high-horse. Let's see how much he apologizes when he isn't winning.

I'm willing to bet that pretty soon the fans in Alabama won't be so gung-ho about their coach in a year or two. They may love him now, but don't be surprised if he starts to lose and they start hating him. But by that time, he will have probably left the team for another program that is willing to pay him with a fatter contract.

Let's just hope he doesn't return to the NFL and ruin another team. Unless, of course, he joins the Jets or Patriots. Then, we can count on either team falling apart and then our schedule will be a little bit easier for a few seasons.

Let me hear your opinions on Saban, just leave a comment below.

Also, I am sorry about not posting these last few days. I was out of town for the weekend and got back late Sunday.

The NFL's proposed enhanced schedule does not have any real benefits that make it worth going through with.

It just adds too much danger and takes away too much of the excitement of an individual game. There is only one benefits that Miami Dolphins fans will have from this:

The perfect season.

The 1972 Miami Dolphins were, and still are, the only undefeated team ever in the history of the NFL. Other teams have come close, but none have ever been able to.

The enhanced schedule will only make it harder for a team to have a perfect season because they will have to play two additional games. That is two more chances for another team to beat them. If the enhanced schedule proposition is accepted and put into play, then it is a very good possibility that there will never be another NFL team to have zero losses in an entire season.

Think about it this way: If the New England Patriots had to play in 18 regular season games during their almost perfect season, then they would have just been starting the playoffs by the time the Super Bowl actually came around. They would have had to just start worrying about playing three of the top teams in the NFL during the playoffs instead of just one team in the Super Bowl.

I know that this isn't a good reason for the enhanced schedule, and I agree. Sure, records are great and are something that should be treasured, but they still aren't worth risking injuries.

So, while Mercury Morris and Larry Csonka may be in favor of this enhanced schedule, you still should not be. I know you probably love the entertainment that 16 games provides and want more, but it is not worth risking players health even more.

OK, so I know this doesn't pertain directly to the Miami Dolphins and I apologize for that, but I figured this is the best way to put in my two cents where people will actually see it. Also, I apologize because this is a very long post because I had a lot to say, but trust me you will want to read it.

The NFL made a presentation on Wednesday to change the schedule around. It is being called an enhanced schedule. What it would do is take away two preseason games and turn them into two regular season games. This would mean that teams play 18 games in a regular season instead of 16.

The driving force behind this proposal is obviously money. More regular season games means more profit for the NFL, but here are a few reasons why the money isn't worth it.

The first reason is that the importance of each game is a lot less. The beauty of the NFL is that there are not that many games, so each game is extremely crucial and people are much more likely to watch an NFL game than, say, an MLB game.

There is also much more intensity in each game. Players in the NFL always give everything they have in football because each win is crucial. Baseball players couldn't really care less if they lose a regular season game. Why should they? There are 162 games to play in a season, so one game doesn't really make a difference. One game in 162 comes out to roughly .6%. One loss isn't big at all because that game isn't even 1% of the regular season.

If you divide one game by the 16 games in the NFL regular season, you get 6.25%. That means a single NFL game is ten times more important than an MLB regular season game. One NFL game has a huge impact on an NFL team. If you use the enhanced schedule, you are taking away a little bit of the excitement of the game. Each game means a little bit less.

Another reason I don't support the enhanced schedule is that players and coaches need the preseason. Even though it may not be as entertaining to the fan, the preseason is how coaches find out how their potential players perform in game situations. Two games isn't always enough to show the coaches. If you give the coaches enough time to put together the best possible team they can, then you are making the regular season more exciting because the best players will always be out there.

My last reason, and probably the most important reason, is player health. It is hard enough as it is for players to stay healthy with our current schedule. If you make them play even more and subject their bodies to the toil of an NFL game even more, then you are not helping their health at all. If a team makes it to the Super Bowl, then that means that teams players have to play 21 games in a season.

If you add up the games from season to season, it only gets worse and worse. So many former NFL players have numerous health issues after they played in the NFL because of the beatings they took day in and day out. Imagine if you added two more games to each season for a player that played 10 seasons. That is 20 more games of abuse that their body has to take. Money is not worth the lives of the athletes we hold so dear.

I understand that the NFL is a business, but they are already hugely successful. Why bother trying to be even better when they are risking the lives of the very people that make them so successful. The cons hugely outweigh the pros in this situation, so let us hope that this proposal isn't passed.

There has been a minimal amount of talk about Ronnie Brown's contract "issue". While, the chances of Brown not playing for the Miami Dolphins next year is very, very slim, I figure why not pretend like he did.

Think about it, what would the Miami Dolphins be like without Ronnie Brown running the ball.

Brown is the starter for the Dolphins when he is healthy. He is a great running back and is able to make big plays and can, for the most part, carry the Dolphins running game. The thing is, Brown doesn't have to carry the team. He shares his carries with Ricky Williams, so while he is valuable, it can be argued that he isn't essential to the team.

I am not saying that he definitely isn't essential, I'm just saying that it can be argued that he isn't.

His injuries have always been a problem. Even when he shares carries, he still gets injured. A lot of times, players can be injured because they are overworked, but that isn't always the case for Brown. He is just injury-prone. It is as simple as that.

When Brown was out last season because of injury, aging running back Ricky Williams was able to carry the team and perform extremely well.

Williams may not be the long-term answer for the Dolphins, but he is definitely a short-term answer. Although he is 33 years old, he still has a couple of years left in him because he didn't play in the NFL for a couple of seasons. That means that he will be able to play longer than the average NFL player.

Without Brown, the Dolphins would still have a couple of years to find a new running back simply because Williams will last a couple more years. They will have time to find a back, and still be able to be a successful running team.

So, while losing Ronnie Brown isn't something the Dolphins want to do, they would still be able to manage and be successful running the football.

Miami Dolphins QB Chad Pennington has been recovering from shoulder surgery since last season.

It is the third surgery on the same shoulder for Pennington, and it is looking less and less like he will play again. He didn't do much in the preseason workouts and OTA's this offseason.

So, I say why not take him off the roster completely and just hire him as a coach for the team.

Think about it, last year when Henne was playing, Pennington was his mentor. Pennington was basically coaching Henne last year, so why not let him do it this year.

We have three capable quarterbacks who can play and lead the team. Yes, I know that some of you don't believe in Pat White being a real quarterback, but I believe he has potential. All he needs is a coach like Pennington to help him be more accurate.

Keeping Pennington as a player will have no benefit for the Dolphins. He is 33 years old and at the end of his playing career. On top of that, he might not even play.

Now I'll be honest, I don't know the full details of Pennington's contract, so I don't know if there would be any way to get the money Miami is paying him back.

But, it would still be more beneficial to the Dolphins to hire Pennington as a coach instead of a player. While he may not be young for an NFL athlete, he is still very young compared to NFL coaches. The Miami Dolphins should pick him up as a coach now, before another team does, because he is extremely hard working and knowledgeable about the game.

Trust me on this one. We have the quarterback position covered, which is why we no longer need Pennington on the roster. Him as a coach will free up another spot on the roster for Miami to keep a player at a more pressing position.

Some of you might of heard about Chicago Bears legend Gale Sayers criticizing the current Bears team last month. He talked about a lot of things that the current Bears team was unable to do, or what they will have to do next year.

Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, whom Sayers also criticized, fired back at Sayers because he didn't believe that Sayers should criticize the team he played for for so long.

I tend to agree with Urlacher about not criticizing your former team, and it made me think how thankful I was that legendary Miami Dolphins players don't criticize the current Dolphins team. I believe that most legendary Dolphins alumni are proud of their team and I don't remember ever hearing them insult their team like Gale Sayers did.

In fact, quite possibly one of the best quarterbacks ever and the best ever from Miami, Dan Marino, complimented current Dolphins QB Chad Henne in an interview recently.

According to the Sun Sentinel, Marino said the following of Henne.

"He gave them a chance to win a lot, which for a young quarterback is the most important thing. He's got a strong arm. ... Very strong arm. I think he's going to do nothing but get better."

Marino was obviously saying this because of Stephen Ross saying that Henne has the potential to be the best Dolphins QB ever.

I'm glad that Marino is supportive of Henne. If Henne knows that Dan Marino supports him, then he has to be more confident. Marino could have criticized either Ross for even trying to compare Henne to him, or he could have criticized Henne and commented on how he plays.

Unlike Gale Sayers, Marino didn't criticize his team, even though he could have and would have been defended by the majority of people. He chose to take the high road and give Henne confidence.

Think about it: who is better off because of what their alumni said? Henne or Urlacher?

So, Dolphins fans, be thankful that we have such a great franchise, and let us hope that Henne is able to give us years of success.

So, you guys know my favorite player on offense already. Now, it's time I tell you my favorite defensive player on the Miami Dolphins.

First, let me say this. I have two players that I really like and they both play the same position, but one really sticks out to me.

That one is CB Sean Smith.

The other CB that I really like is Vontae Davis. Both Davis and Smith were drafted in the 2009 NFL Draft. Davis was drafted in the first round and Smith in the second.

What I like so much about Smith is his ability to work his way up. He started all 16 games last season, which was more than Davis who started 9.

I remember hearing during training camp last year about how hard Smith was working and how well he was doing. That and the fact that I have always really liked the CB position has made Sean Smith my favorite player.

The key to being successful in the NFL is to be hard-working and constantly be a student of the game. We know Smith is hard-working, and hopefully he is also a student of the game.

Smith, like Greg Camarillo, doesn't even put up the best numbers for his position on the team. He is just always making a big play and shutting down who he is covering. He didn't even get an interception during the regular season last year, but he still does the small things.

Don't get me wrong, though. If you watch highlights of Smith, you can see he also has a lot of big play potential. Here are two videos of Smith. One is a highlight of him in college. The other is him during the preaseason last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9M2w9m320k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPhVc9sJZcY&feature=related

As you can see Sean Smith possesses incredible catching ability, as well. And, he still has his entire career in front of him. Things can only go up from here.

Smith and Davis are the future of the Miami Dolphins defense. Both CBs will be able to lead the Miami Dolphins defense to great things because of their potential and work ethic.

If you want to follow either of them on twitter, here are links to their twitter accounts.

Sean Smith: http://twitter.com/SeanSMITH4

Vontae Davis: http://twitter.com/VontaeDavis21

That's my favorite defensive player on the Miami Dolphins. Tell me who your favorite player is, and why.

Hopefully, most of you have a favorite Miami Dolphin that you pay specific attention to. Somebody that you follow closely and you enjoy it that much more when they make a great play.

I have two favorite Dolphins players. One on offense and one on defense. They aren't necessarily the best at their position either, although it can be argued. This post is about my favorite offensive Miami Dolphin:

Greg Camarillo.

I know most of you have heard about him. He is a WR on the Dolphins. Camarillo puts up consistent numbers and has a good number of receptions each season.

What I love so much about Camarillo is his ability to catch anything that is thrown his way. He is one of the most sure-handed players you will ever see.

He can definitely make important catches on crucial plays.

When the Dolphins went 1-15, Camarillo was the player who made the game winning touchdown reception in overtime against the Baltimore Ravens.

Camarillo has stuck through since that horrible season and continued to contribute to the Dolphins as they have become a much better team. He has been with the Dolphins longer than a lot of the current Dolphins players. He is the oldest WR on the Dolphins and has been with Miami longer than any of the other receivers.

Camarillo didn't have a single touchdown last year, so you may wonder why he is my favorite player. He is my favorite player because he is the type of guy who makes the play to set the offense up for a touchdown the following play. He doesn't take the glory for himself.

Now, granted, I have never actually met the guy. But, from what I can tell Camarillo is an unselfish player who deserves to be praised. He is very talented and does whatever is needed of him.

I will leave you guys with this. Last year when the Dolphins beat the New England Patriots, do you remember on fourth down when Henne threw the ball to Camarillo to convert?

If it weren't for Camarillo, then the Dolphins would have been 6-10 at best. I know 7-9 doesn't sound good, but it is a whole lot better than 6-10.

Now, let me hear from you guys. Who is your favorite offensive player on the Miami Dolphins? Don't put a defensive player yet, because I will cover that in a later post.

When you comment, start by naming your favorite player and then say why. Then, if you want, you can say what you think about other people's favorites and their reasons why. Please be respectful and keep the language to a minimum.

In the past week I've seen a lot of talk about team leaders. Talk like who is going to be one and what it takes to be one. I can only give my views on the subject and what I think a leader is.

Many fans seem to think the leaders are the team captains.

I don't think that is the case at all. Team captains are, in my view, no more than a figure head for the flip of the coin. That's when we will see all the names we are so familiar with. This years most likely captains may be QB Chad Henne and T Jake Long on offense. On defense the captains will probably be SS Yeremiah Bell and LB Karlos Dansby. Special teams would most likely be awarded to K Dan Carpenter. Those will be the most noticeable names and fan favorites.

The media constantly tries to anoint leadership to a name brand player or name brand players. But really, the players are the one who choose their leaders. Leaders can come from any part of the team, and they can even be a bench player. It could be a guy that doesn't have great speed or that extra gear, so to speak. That leader may play only a few plays a game, but he brings with him that extra something that other players look up to and want to follow.

What ever the case may be, leaders are not chosen by outsiders. I doubt we know who they are usually, unless somebody from the team flat out says so.

Let me know what you guys think: do you think that the Team Captains are chosen because they are the leaders on their teams or just simply figure heads for fans?

As soon as news came out that Brandon Marshall was injured and would be sitting out until training camp, Broncos fans used it as an excuse and said how they were "glad that they didn't have to worry about him anymore".

Well I have news for you guys, neither do the Dolphins.

Marshall was reportedly practicing in the OTA's doing positional drills. That is great because Marshall is ahead of schedule and should be working with Miami Dolphins QB Chad Henne very soon.

Now, nobody has to worry about Brandon Marshall's status anymore. We know he will be fine, and hopefully he will be able to put up another 100+ receptions this year.

Also, Brandon Marshall has apparently decided on keeping the number 19, so don't sweat it Dolphins fans. Him having the same number as Ted Ginn Jr. is actually a good thing because Ginn used up all of the bad luck and terrible catching in the number. Now, all Marshall will have to do is put the number and he will be sure to have great luck and be able to catch everything.

But seriously, I know that people say it is silly to worry about numbers, and I partially agree. But, anyone who has ever played competitively in any sport for a number of years can understand the importance of having a certain number. You just feel more comfortable in it. I know it is weird, but that is just how it works for some people. Marshall getting a number that he can be comfortable with is more important than you may think. Not super-important, just more than you may think.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more posts on the greatest team in football.

If you are a fan of the Miami Dolphins you should be excited, very excited.

Your team is about to take a big step in to being one of the top teams in the NFL. The foundation has already been built, and now is the time to start putting it to use.

This year is the year that good things will start and then continue to happen for the Miami Dolphins franchise. This is the year that people will start to realize that the Dolphins are here to stay, and here are just a few reasons why:

A Much Better Passing Game

The Miami Dolphins passing game has only gotten better from last year. They released the excess baggage that was holding them down in Ted Ginn Jr, signed Brandon Marshall who is one of the best receivers in the NFL, and still have all of those consistent receivers you have come to love over the last couple of years. Chad Henne has all of the tools he needs to become one of the best quarterbacks in the league, now let us see what he does with those tools.

The Same Old Running Game

In the last two years the Dolphins have consistently ran the ball with success. No matter what was happening with the passing game or with the defense, you could be sure that the running game would work out. Well, that same old running game is back and now it does not have to carry the bulk of Miami Dolphins offense. Now that Miami has a stronger passing game, opposing teams will focus less on Miami running the ball and more on them passing the ball. This will, no doubt, open up the field for the Dolphin backs.

A Great Offensive Line

One key to Miami’s success the last two years running the ball was the offensive line’s ability to block. The Dolphins offensive line corps does a superb job at protecting all of its backs (QB and RB), and all signs show that they will be able to do it again.

A Great New Coach

The Dolphins have been improving their defense for basically the entire off-season. Miami started off by hiring Mike Nolan as their new defensive coordinator. Out of the eleven total years that Mike Nolan has been a defensive coordinator in the NFL, Nolan’s defense has been in the bottom half of the NFL in points allowed only three of those years. Six of those years Nolan’s defenses were in the top 10 in points allowed in the NFL. So, as a defensive coordinator, Mike Nolan’s defense has been in the top ten of the NFL for the majority of his career.

A Much Better Defense

The bulk of Miami’s focus this off-season has been on the defense. Nolan was obviously the first big change for the defense, but he definitely wasn’t the last. Miami then went on to sign Karlos Dansby, an extremely talented linebacker from Arizona. The Dolphins also looked to the draft to improve their defense. Seven out of their eight draft picks were used on defensive players. Mike Nolan has also, apparently, been changing the mentality of the defense. Nolan has been turning the defense into an attacking defense. Instead of sitting back like Paul Pasqualoni had them do last year, Nolan has been teaching them to be more aggressive and force offenses to have to make more changes against them.

Not only will next season be great for the Miami Dolphins, but so will the seasons following it.

Teams like the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots were able to build foundations around great quarterbacks and win 10+ games every season. Miami should now be able to do the same simply because they now have a franchise quarterback named Chad Henne leading the team.

The Miami Dolphins had one of the worst passing defenses in the NFL last year.

So, obviously, something had to be done. And, that something was firing defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni and hiring Mike Nolan as their new defensive coordinator.

Nolan is a great coach that can make a huge impact on the Dolphins defense. He has had a great career so far with 25+ years of coaching experience, and that includes the top defense in the NFL with the 1993 New York Giants. Here is a quick look at what Nolan has done with defenses in his career:

Nolan has been a defensive coordinator for eleven years.

Eight of those eleven years, Nolan's defense has been in the better half of the NFL in points allowed. Six of the years, it has been in the top 10. So, that means Nolan has had a top 10 defense in the NFL for the majority of his career. That is a very good sign for Dolphins fans.

Mike Nolan is the best acquisition the Miami Dolphins made this offseason. Better than Brandon Marshall. Defense wins championships, and while great receivers helps a lot, they still don't help as much as a great defense.

Let me know what the Dolphins community thinks on that one with your comments right below this post.

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross recently said that the Dolphins would be in Super Bowl XLV, and that Chad Henne has the potential to be the best QB in Miami history. That history includes Dolphins QB Dan Marino.

This sounds like something New York Jets coach Rex Ryan would say, and not Stephen Ross, but he did and maybe it will show Chad Henne that the organization is confident in what he is doing.

I like the move, because I want Chad Henne to know that he is supported. Hearing that your boss thinks you can be the best ever has to make you confident in yourself.

There has been talk that Ross is only adding pressure to Chad Henne, but I don't think that is a problem. It will probably only give Henne more confidence. Ross is making a very smart move, because if he can give Henne confidence now, then Henne will have confidence during games to throw the ball long.

Having someone who believes in you and sees your potential is huge. Not only is Ross impacting Henne, he is also impacting the whole Dolphins team because he is telling them that he believes in what they can do with his Super Bowl prediction.

Maybe his words will have no effect on what will happen for the Dolphins next season, but that isn't likely. Ross is standing behind the players he has and is showing them he thinks they are able to succeed.

This could be a really smart thing for Ross to say, but only time will tell.

I hope I have this correct because I'm not great when it comes to all the tech stuff.

I've been thinking as many of us have been and I was wondering: who is going to replace Jason Taylor? What I'm wondering is, why all the worry?

We seem to be thinking that Wake isn't up to the task for some reason. I hear the people questioning whether Wake can set the edge on running plays and can he drop back in coverage? To be honest, I don't get what all the worry is. Jason couldn't do any of those things against the run or coverage.

He was always a liability in the running game. Most of the time he was so intent to get his sacks he took himself out the play and face it his coverage skills were well, lets just say not very good.

Yea, yea I know I'm going to take some heat on this, I understand I'm taking on what most fans feel is an icon for the Dolphins. So it's not going to be popular.

I know in his prime he could bring it, and in that time he, along with Zack, was about all we had. Jason Taylor was a great player. But when I hear the talk about Wake being one dimensional it makes me laugh. Do you see the double standard that I see?

I would like to officially welcome Gary aka Riverdog to Dolphin Shout.

You guys may have seen him posting in the comments numerous times, well now he will be posting for the blog.

Gary is a huge Miami Dolphins fan and has a lot of great ideas. Trust me when I say this, you will want to read what he has to say. Gary can make you think about things that you never would have thought about otherwise.

So, please be sure to welcome him and comment on his articles. Whether you agree or disagree, please let us know because we love debates!

That's all, and if you guys have anything you want to ask or say to Gary, just email it to dolphinshout@yahoo.com with the subject "Riverdog"

To leave a comment click on the link that tells how many comments have been left. It is right below this next to the email link

O.J. Atogwe a free agent FS and I was really hoping that the Miami Dolphins would pick him up.

That is probably not going to happen, though. His price tag is way too high, and the Dolphins staff has apparently been very pleased with the current players we have at the FS right now.

I understand that it is a good sign that our current free safeties are making good showings, but I still don't feel comfortable about it. I would rather have a proven FS play this year and teach the younger guys what to do instead of the younger guys having to step in immediately.

We will see what happens, but either way I'll still be rooting for my Miami Dolphins. And you can count on that.

I was recently contacted about writing about the Miami Dolphins on a new website, so I have been working on that.

I just wrote my first article for the site, so I was wondering if you guys would be willing to check it out. If nothing else just click on the link I provide and then you can leave. I just need to get viewers to the site. You don't have to do anything else but click on, and hopefully read the link to my article.

Here is the link, and thank you in advance for your support. I really appreciate it. Please tell your friends as well. Please feel free to read it and comment on it. Thanks again. The link is right below.